*Membership spots not really limited!

Staff Writer

I continue to really love what Bendis is doing with the X-Men titles. Each issue delivers action, drama and interesting character interactions (as well as lots and lots of talking), all masterfully drawn by Stuart Immonen. This particular instalment deals with the fall-out of OG Angel deciding to join Cyclops and his Uncanny X-Men team. This of course leads to a lot of arguing between both sides, but mostly it’s all about Jean Grey’s reaction. She kind of flips out, and tries to stop Warren leaving, and gets involved in a mind-battle with the Stepford Cuckoos.

I think what Bendis is doing with Jean is fascinating. Because she’s dead most of the time, Jean is often put on a pedestal as this perfect, virtuous woman who was everyone’s true love. But by using a young version of the character, we are getting to see the person behind the myth for the first time in years and see that she’s a complex character even without the manipulations of the Phoenix. Jean is very powerful, and because she can’t control it, she is dangerous. This is the most interesting the character has been in a long time, perhaps even in my lifetime. Also interesting was the idea that was raised in Jean and Kitty’s conversation, that the dynamic between the OG X-Men has been completely changed, whereas before they always stuck together, forming X-Factor and all of that stuff, now, they are split. Throughout this series I have been most interested in how the arrival of the original team has effected the modern-day characters (hell, that was Beast’s intent, to have it make Cyclops change his ways), but now we have to think on how it’s effected the original team themselves. These guys aren’t a plot device, Bendis is treating them like real characters.

Of course, there is still plenty of good stuff to be wrung out of present-day reactions, for example, next issue we’ll see the OG team come face to face with the Uncanny Avengers and Cyclops’ brother Havok. Correct me if I’m wrong, but at the point in time that the original team have been plucked from, does Cyclops even know that his brother is still alive? Oh yeah, and Mystique is continuing to stir up trouble, that’s fun stuff, I liked how she’s not just targeting mutant-related stuff, she’s stealing Tony Stark’s money too. This is just a brilliant comic, each issue of both this and Uncanny are momentous occasions for me!

Staff Writer

I continue to really love what Bendis is doing with the X-Men titles. Each issue delivers action, drama and interesting character interactions (as well as lots and lots of talking), all masterfully drawn by Stuart Immonen. This particular instalment deals with the fall-out of OG Angel deciding to join Cyclops and his Uncanny X-Men team. This of course leads to a lot of arguing between both sides, but mostly it’s all about Jean Grey’s reaction. She kind of flips out, and tries to stop Warren leaving, and gets involved in a mind-battle with the Stepford Cuckoos.

I think what Bendis is doing with Jean is fascinating. Because she’s dead most of the time, Jean is often put on a pedestal as this perfect, virtuous woman who was everyone’s true love. But by using a young version of the character, we are getting to see the person behind the myth for the first time in years and see that she’s a complex character even without the manipulations of the Phoenix. Jean is very powerful, and because she can’t control it, she is dangerous. This is the most interesting the character has been in a long time, perhaps even in my lifetime. Also interesting was the idea that was raised in Jean and Kitty’s conversation, that the dynamic between the OG X-Men has been completely changed, whereas before they always stuck together, forming X-Factor and all of that stuff, now, they are split. Throughout this series I have been most interested in how the arrival of the original team has effected the modern-day characters (hell, that was Beast’s intent, to have it make Cyclops change his ways), but now we have to think on how it’s effected the original team themselves. These guys aren’t a plot device, Bendis is treating them like real characters.

Of course, there is still plenty of good stuff to be wrung out of present-day reactions, for example, next issue we’ll see the OG team come face to face with the Uncanny Avengers and Cyclops’ brother Havok. Correct me if I’m wrong, but at the point in time that the original team have been plucked from, does Cyclops even know that his brother is still alive? Oh yeah, and Mystique is continuing to stir up trouble, that’s fun stuff, I liked how she’s not just targeting mutant-related stuff, she’s stealing Tony Stark’s money too. This is just a brilliant comic, each issue of both this and Uncanny are momentous occasions for me!

Outhouse Drafter

Personally, I love the fact that one of the original X-Men took a stand and made a their own decision based on the information they were presented with instead of just staying with the group. Warren standing up and saying, "between your nonsense and their nonsense...I like their nonsense better" really took everyone on Wolverine's side down a peg.

The stuff with Jean Grey has been incredibly interesting. She is demonstrating abilities she shouldn't have yet and she is using them in ways she shouldn't be able to control. It's obvious that being brought into the future has had terrible consequences on all of the original X-Men but maybe none so much as Jean. I really can't wait to see what Bendis' end game is here. Obviously they original X-Men are going to go back to the past eventually but what state will they be going back in and what ramifications will that have on the present as we know it?

Outhouse Drafter

Personally, I love the fact that one of the original X-Men took a stand and made a their own decision based on the information they were presented with instead of just staying with the group. Warren standing up and saying, "between your nonsense and their nonsense...I like their nonsense better" really took everyone on Wolverine's side down a peg.

The stuff with Jean Grey has been incredibly interesting. She is demonstrating abilities she shouldn't have yet and she is using them in ways she shouldn't be able to control. It's obvious that being brought into the future has had terrible consequences on all of the original X-Men but maybe none so much as Jean. I really can't wait to see what Bendis' end game is here. Obviously they original X-Men are going to go back to the past eventually but what state will they be going back in and what ramifications will that have on the present as we know it?

2009 Most Valuable Poster

e_galston wrote:The only reason the cuckoos beat jean is she's had her telepathy for all of like what a month if that... the cuckoos have had training by Emma Frost, Jean has had training from Kitty Pryde...

2009 Most Valuable Poster

e_galston wrote:The only reason the cuckoos beat jean is she's had her telepathy for all of like what a month if that... the cuckoos have had training by Emma Frost, Jean has had training from Kitty Pryde...